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Bernie Ecclestone

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  Teutone 
#1 ·
Quote:
In an interview with Lord Hesketh (the team owner James Hunt used to raced for at the time) where he spoke of the day Ecclestone came to him and the other team owners.
He had bought the rights for 100,000 pounds and offered them all shares at cost. 10,000 a piece.
He was genuinely tired of watching every one struggling to compete.
Hesketh openly said they were all dumb enough to think about and decline the offer.

Unfortunately that really changed my opinion of Ecclestone, he does deserve credit and some of the teams that declined his offer then might still be participating had they accepted.
 
#2 ·
SIR FRANK WILLIAMS: BERNIE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN

Sir Frank Williams: Bernie came down from heaven | GRAND PRIX 247
3 April, 2015

Sir Frank Williams has become a very wealthy man as founder and team principal of the Williams Formula 1 team, but there were times when he traveled to Monaco for a grand prix with a less than a thousand quid for the race weekend, but that was before Bernie Ecclestone arrived on the scene.

Williams told Motor Sport magazine in an interview, “Until [Bernie] arrived, F1 was just another European motoring activity, but he was the one who realised that it was seriously under-developed commercially. He saw the opportunity.”

“The team bosses never thought Bernie was getting too big for his boots, because his brilliant negotiating powers were able to secure very good deals for us for each and every Grand Prix.”

“He is hugely clever, which everybody knows, but people on the outside don’t realise that he also has a fantastic sense of humour. Bernie came down from heaven: you can quote me on that,” insisted Williams.

Formula 1 four decades ago was light years away from the multi-billion dollar business it has become today. Williams began his foray into the top tier of the sport when he entered the late Piers Courage for the 1969 Monaco Grand Prix at the wheel of a Brabham.

Williams explained, “Formula 1 was very different then, in those pre-Bernie days. Seven of us went to Monaco: me, three mechanics, the truckie, Piers and his wife Sally. Sally did the timekeeping. I was paid £900 (about €1200) to turn up with one car, and £900 didn’t go very far in Monte Carlo, even then.”

“I had to borrow money from Piers to pay the hotel bill,” recalled Williams who since then has seen his team go on to collect nine Formula 1 constructors’ titles, seven drivers’ titles and win 114 grands prix in the process.
 
#4 ·
Piers Courage was a very good friend of the recently departed Jonathan Williams who I got to know over the past few years.

Bernie and Max Moseley seemed to make F1 work?
 
#5 ·
We were standing in the dunes overlooking the back stretch of the Zandvoort track right where the accident happened (races were always clock wise). The fire crew didn't arrive as quick as was later reported, looked a bit reluctant to get close to the flames (magnesium, perhaps temperature was very high?) and it took quite a while after the flames were finally extinguished to erect some sort of temporary cover around the wreck to block the view of the gruesome scene.
For some reason i seem to remember another driver stopping and trying to help, others slowing down?
It was below and right across from us. I remember the unpleasant smell.
I believe Regazzoni, Stewart, Rindt, and great American racer Gurney were in that race.
We left, and didn't watch the continuation and finish. I was staying with my friend Herman's family about 500 yards down the promenade.
I think the back portion of the track has been sold and build on.
The Zandvoort track is still there but a smaller version. Tarzan's Paw, the tracks legendary corner following the grand stand straight still exists.
The 'run off area' used to be sand, i got up close and well acquainted one time.

On open track days, the funniest thing I watched was a full size Rolls limo (looked like a SCIII) being hefted around the track, and leaning like a pendulum in the corners.

Your acquaintance Adam Cooper should have the inside information here.
 
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